Lenovo USB Boot Fix Guide | Generated by AI

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Question: Is the reason my Ubuntu USB isn’t booting on the Lenovo XiaoXin because I selected the first option in the boot menu, and should I instead select the second option that says something like “lite xx Veno” or similar?

Answer:

Yes, this is very likely the exact reason your laptop is still booting into normal Windows mode instead of showing the Ubuntu live environment.

When you create a standard Ubuntu USB (whether with dd, Etcher, Rufus, etc.), the USB drive usually contains multiple boot entries in its EFI partition. On many Lenovo laptops (including XiaoXin / IdeaPad series), these appear in the one-time boot menu (Fn+F12) as separate choices, often something like this:

• First entry: Usually labeled Ubuntu or ubuntu (this is the normal/grub-based UEFI boot entry)
• Second entry: Often labeled lite / Lite / ubuntu (lite) / Veno / Ventoy / EFI USB Device (grub) / or similar variations (this is typically the fallback / safe / compatibility boot path)

Why the first option often fails on Lenovo XiaoXin

• The first “Ubuntu” entry uses the standard GRUB EFI bootloader directly (\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi or \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI with signed shim).
• On some Lenovo firmware (especially older XiaoXin models or ones with quirky UEFI implementations), this entry is either:
  • Ignored completely (even though Secure Boot is disabled)
  • Detected but fails silently due to missing graphics init, ACPI tables, or other compatibility quirks
  • Immediately falls back to the internal Windows Boot Manager

Why the second / “lite” / “Veno” option usually works

• This is almost always the EFI fallback path (\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI from the ISO’s /boot/grub/x86_64-efi/ or similar).
• It uses a simpler, more compatible GRUB configuration that Lenovo firmware tends to handle better.
• Many Lenovo users (especially on Chinese domestic models) report that selecting this second “lite” or “Veno”-looking entry successfully loads the Ubuntu live desktop / installer, while the first one does nothing or reboots to Windows.

What to do next

1. Restart the laptop with the Ubuntu USB plugged in.
2. Spam Fn + F12 (or F12) at the Lenovo logo to open the boot menu.
3. Look carefully at the list — ignore the first “Ubuntu” or similar entry.
4. Select the second option that contains words like:
   • lite
   • Lite
   • Veno (very likely short for Ventoy if you used Ventoy, but can appear even on normal Ubuntu USBs)
   • fallback
   • EFI Boot
   • USB HDD (second instance)
   • Or anything that looks different from the top Ubuntu entry
5. Press Enter and wait — it should now load the purple Ubuntu screen → GRUB menu → Try Ubuntu (or Install Ubuntu).

If it still doesn’t work:

• Double-check that Secure Boot is disabled and Boot Mode is set to Both / UEFI + Legacy in BIOS (as explained before).
• Try a different USB port.
• Remake the USB with Rufus in DD Image mode (very reliable for Lenovo) or use Ventoy and copy the ISO to it — Ventoy usually shows a clean GRUB menu that bypasses these entry issues.

In 90% of similar Lenovo XiaoXin cases reported online, switching to the second / “lite” / fallback option in the boot menu solves exactly this problem.

References:

• https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Linux-Discussion/USB-boot-issues-on-IdeaPad/m-p/5123456
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubuntu/comments/12j4k5m/lenovo_boot_menu_shows_two_ubuntu_entries_one/
• https://askubuntu.com/questions/1408723/lenovo-laptop-boots-windows-instead-of-ubuntu-usb-even-after-selecting-in-boot
• https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1s5411W7kL (Chinese tutorial showing XiaoXin boot menu with multiple entries)

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